Electric door opener



2 Sheets-Sheet l Q M .m; Q..

c. A. MARTINDALE ELECTRIC DOOR OPENER Filed Jan. so. 192e May 24, 1927.

May v24, l1927'.I

y 1,630,127 C. A. MARTINDALE ELBoTfgrc DooR OPENER Filed Jan. 30'. 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1.927.

UNIT-EDjSTATiEs PATENT OFFICE..

oIIARLEs A. MART'INDALE, or ANDERSON, INDIANA, AssIGNoR To THE RELIABLE 'MACHINE OOMPANY,OE ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

ELEG'IRIO DOOR OPENER.

Application inea January ao, 192e. serial No. 85,039.l

My said invention relates to a'mechanical door Opener intended primarily for use on gara e doors whether large or small and applica le infother analogousv situations, as

for opening windows,getc

It is an object OI' my invention to provide a simple mechanism which shall open folding doors wide so as to Vprovide a maximum 'space for entrya-nd exit and shall also close lo them, all by the use of mechanical torce and without iiianual exertion; y t

Referring to the accompanying drawings, `which lare made a part hereotl and on which similar reference characters indicate similarA parts, i

Figure 1 is an elevation of a set of folding doors equipped with my improved mechanism, I v Fig. 2, atop plan of the saine,

ing Operating mechanism, and h Fig; 4, a top plan of said mechanism with parts omitted. Y

In the drawings reference characte'r'lO indicates the lintel of afdloor frame having' jar'nb's 11. A plurality of doors'12, 13, 14 and 15 are arranged in pairs, the. doors of each pair being connected by hinges 16 and the outer doors of the set having hinges 17 `jour' naled on 'upright rods '19.7 The rods 19 carry collars 2() which are secured to the rods 19 by pins orin any other suitable or convenient manner. Rockarms 21 project from the ycollars 20, these arms being attachedto doors 13 and 14respecti'vely near the hinges 16 of the same by means comprising a bracket 22 on each of said doorshaving a hinged connection with abent rod 23 pivotally connected at 24 to a bracket 25 slidingly adjustable on the corresponding arm21..

The inner door of each pair is provided with a swivel fitting 26 of well-known type carrying a roller 27 which runs on One.of a pair of outwardly diverging tracks 27. 'The rollers are swivelled tothe doors to permit the necessary relative change of position' as the doors move toward the fully Open position illustrated in dotted lines inFig. 2.' It may be noted that the hinges 17 havearms extending some distance past the inner edge of the jamb 1l. prior to engagement with the door. This engagement permits the doors when fully open to fold back approx- Fig. 3, anelevation partly in section showimately -in line with the inner face of the jamb 11 so as to make the opening as wide 55 as possible.

At the upper end Ot' each rod 19 is a rockarm 28. Rods 29 are pivotally attached at one end to the rockarms 28 and at the other end one Ot'- them is'- connected to a crank 30 and the' other to a crank 31.

The motor 32 for operating the doors drives a shaft 83 `on which is mounted a worm 34 meshing with a worm wheel 35 on a shaft 36. The shaft 36 `has a spur-pinion 37 at its lower end meshing with afspurgear 38 on a sha-ft 39: The shaft 39, at its lower end, carries a crank 30, previously 'referred to, for openin and closing one pai-r of doors. The gear 38 c rives a gear 40 on a shaft41 which shaft at 'its lower end carries the crank 31 for operating the other set'of doors.

The shaft 39 at its upper end is provided" with oppositely extending arms carrying a pair of cams 42 so located as to lift a roller 43 jouiiialed iii-the forked end of a lever 44 pivoted at 45. A spring 46 at the end of the lever remote from the roller 43 serves to move the lever clockwise and so pulls downward on a link 47 t operate Va brake 48 which maybe in the form of a band encircling the drum on the shaft 33. The brake is applied by Opera-tion of cams 42 land is immediately released when the camsv have passed, by means of the spring 46.

Current is` supplied to the motor from positive and negative `wires 49 and 5() of the main line by means of a circuit including a conductor 51, a mercury ,switch 52v and a. conductor 53 connected to the motor, and a conductor 54 leading'from the motor back to the negative wire 50 of the main line, this operation being under control of the mercury switch. A solenoid 55 is controlled by a circuit including conductors 56 and 57, an interposed push button 58 leading from the` positive side of the main line to the winding of the solenoidand a conductor 59 leading from said winding back to the negative side ofv the solenoid. It will be evident that on the closing. of the push button the 'solenoid will be\energized to tilt the mercury switch 52- so as to break the connection between the contacts 60 vand 6l of the solenoid'circuit and 63. The parts will remain in the position indicated with the motor circuit closed until the gears 38 and 40 have moved through an are of 180 or' sufiicient to carry an arm 64 into position to strike a lug l on a slidable rod 66 normal] held in the position indicated in Fig. 4 y means of a spring 67. A block 66 supports the end of the rod 66 and acts as an abutment for a pin montedl in the rod to limit its movement. The rod 66 is provided with a lug 69 positioned to engage a depending arm 70 on the trunnion of the switch 52 so 'as to move the pivoted switch lcounterclockwise and )thus break the motor circuit. This movement, by means of a horizontal arm 71 and a connecting rod 72, pulls the armature of the solenoid downward as well, this armature being maintained in its uppermost position by the weight of the mercury-which may be madeto overbalance the comparatively light armature.

A rod 68 is mounted parallel to the rod 66 and carries a lug 68 which lies in the path of movement of alug 68b carried by the gear 40. In their normal position the lugs 68 and 68b are in contact, but as soon as the gear 40 starts to rotate, the lug 68b pushes on lug 68 imparting an endwise movement to thewrod 68, which extends to the left in Fig. 1 beyond the casing which eneloses the motor and the gearing operated thereby and the rod is pivotally connected at its upper end to a lever 73 pivotally supported/by ya bracket 74. The lever is connected at its `lower end to the upper end of a bent lever 75 moved in a clockwise direction by a. spring 76. The lower arm of the bent lever engages la notch ina bolt 77 slidably supported in a bracket 78 on the lintel and adapted to engage at its lower end against the outerside of the door or in a socket mounted on the door for locking the door in closed position.` A rod 79 extends along the lintel and is connected at its right-hand end to another bent lever 80 which operates a bolt 81 similar to the bolt 77. Similar bolts ma)vv be arranged at the bottom of the door and connected with this operating mechanism if desired.

It is thought that the operation of the device may be substantially understood from the foregoing description. lVhen the push button is pressed the circuit of the solenoid will be closed and this will move the pivoted switch 52 to close the motor circuit. Thereupon the motor will revolve and drive the gearing to move the rods 29 in opposite directions and thus swing the doors 12 and 15 on their hinges 17 while at the same' time causing the doors 13 and 14 to slide along tracks'27 and swing on their hinges 16 into the wide open position of. Fig. 2. While this action is taking place the shafts 41 and 39 are rotating through an arc of 180 and as this is completed the arm 64 will strike a lug 65 and operate the switch member 52 to open the motor circuit, the solenoid circuit having been broken as soon as the push button has been released. At the same time one of the cams 42 rides under lever 44 and applies the brake 48 to themotor shaft.

The .parts remain in the Yposition just described until it is desired to shut the door when the button is again pressed, closing the circuit of the solenoid and tilting the switch member 52 to close the motor circuit, whereupon the motor is aga-in energized and causes the various parts to move until the shafts 39 and 41 have again rotated through 180o when the other arm 64 strikes the lng 65 and in a manner similar to that above described causes-the motor circuit to be broken. At the same time the brake 48 is again applied. It may be noted that the shafts 39 and 41 always rotate in the same direction.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the i art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to whatvis-shown in the drawings and described in the speeitication but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination of a door frame, a door section hinged thereto, a track, a door section slidahly connected to said track, hinges connectingthe door sections, a rockarm at the outer side of the door extending at an angleto the plane ot' the door, a link connecting said rockarm to the second-named door section, a second rockarm lrigidly connected to the first, a motor operatively connected to the second rockarln, a normally open circuit controlling the motor, and a manually operable switch in said circuit,

substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a door frame, a door section hingedthercto, a track` a door section slidably connected to said track, hinges connecting the -door sections, a rockarm at the outer side of the door extending at an angle to the plane of the door, a link connecting said rockarm to the second-named door section, a second rockarm rigidly connected to the lirst,L a motor operatively connected the second rockarm, a normally open circuit cntrollingthe motor, a manually, operable switch in said circuit, and door locking means controlled by the motor, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a door frame, a pair of doors supported on rods'fulcrumed on said frame said doors being movable in opposite directions, a motor, a pair of intermeshing gears driven by said motor, cranks fixed to the respective gears, rockarms operatively connected to the respeclll v qu

tially as set forth.

1,630,127' f A a tive door rods, links each connecting one of said cranks to one of said rockarms, a normally open circuit for said motor, a` switch in said circuit, manually controlledgmeans for closing the means operated by the rotation of one of said geafiis for opening the switch, substan- 4. The combination of a door frame, a pair of doors supported thereby said doors being movable in opposite directions. a motor, a pair of intern'ieshing gears driven by said motor, cranks iixed to the respective gears, rockarms operatively connected [to the respective doors, links each connecting one of said cranks to one of said rock arms, a `normally open circuit for said motor, aV switch iirsaid circuit. manually controlled meanswfor closing the switch, mechanical means operated by the rotation of one of said gears for opening the switch as the doors reach fully opened or fully closed position, and locking means for the doorsoperated by means carried by one ot said inter-meshing gears, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination oi'v a door frame. a pair or" door s supported t-hereb)7 said doors being movable in opposite directions, a motor, a pair of intermeshing gears driven by said 'motor` cranks fixed to the' respective gears, rockarms operatively connected to the respective doors, links each connecting one ot said cranksto one ofv saidi'ockarms, a normallyopen circuit for said motor, a switch in said circuit, manually controlled means for closing the switch, mechanical meansoperated'by the rotation of one of said gears for opening the switch, and mechanical means carried by one of said gears for unlocking the locking means for thel doors, substantially as described out "of operation as the doors approach closed poy sition -and releasing said means when the doors are closed. substantially asset forth.v

6. The combination of a door frame, a

pair of doors supported thereby said `doorsl being movable in opposite direct-ions, a motor. a. pairof intermeshing gears driven by said motor, cranks fixed to the respective gears, rockarms operatively connected tothe respective doors, links each connectingfone f of said cranks to one 'of said rockarms, .a

normally openA circuit for said motor, a mechanically operated switch in said circuit, manuallycontrolled -meansfor closing the switch, a slidable rod adapted to coact with said switch for breaking` the motor circuit, and a lug on one of said gears for moving switch, and mechanical' the rod in a direction to break said circuit, substantially as set forth.

7. The combi-nation of a door frame, a pair of doors supported thereby said doors being movable in ,opposite directions, a motor, a pair of intermeshing gears driven bysaid motor, cranks tiXed to therespective gears, rockarins operatively connected to the respective doors,'l1nks each connectlng one of said cranks to one of said rockarms, a

normally ,open circuit for said lmotor, a switch in said circuit, `n'ianuallyv controlled means tor closing the switch, a slidable rod connected to the` switch for breaking the motor circuit, a lug on one ot said gears for movingthe rod ina direction to break said circuit, and resilient means to return the rod after the circuit is broken, substai'itially as set forth.

8. rlhe combination ot a door trame, a pair of doors supported thereby said doors being movable in opposite directions, a motor. a pair of intermeshing gears driven by said motor, cranks iixed to the respectivegears, rockarms operatively connected to the respective doors, links each connecting one ot said cranks to one of said rockarms, a normally open circuit tor said motor, a

switch in said circuit, manually controlled means for closing the switch, a slidable rod connected to the switch for breaking the motor circuit, a. lug on one of said gears for movingthe 4rod in a direction to break said circuit, resilient means to return the rod after the circuit is broken, locking means for the doors, and operating connections from the locking means to said rod, substantially as set forth. f'

9. The combination of a door frame, a

pair of doors supported thereby said doors being movable 'in opposite directions, a motor, a pair of intermeshing gears driven by said motor, cranks' fixed to the respective gears, rockarms operatively connected to the respective doors, links each connecting one of said cranks to one of said rockarms, a

pair of oppositely positioned lugs on one of Said gears, a brake for the motor shaft, a

pivoted lever for operating.- the brake, and` an abutment on the lever in the path of movement of saidl lugs whereby the brake is applied as the doors reach their extreme open or closed positions, substantially as set forth.A- y I In witness whereohl have hereunto set my hand at Anderson, Indiana, this 25th day of January, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-six. t

' CHARLES A. MARTINDALE. 

